Mitsubishi Unveils 3D Blu-ray Adapter For Legacy 3D-Ready Sets

Mitsubishi Digital Electric America is announcing here that it will sell this summer a 3D adapter that will allow all legacy Mitsubishi 3D-ready DLP rear-projection TV owners to connect to forthcoming 3D Blu-ray Disc players, based on the just-approved 3D specifications.

In conjunction with the announcement, the company is presenting a major 3D showcase here, including in the Experience 3D Tech Zone on the main floor a 53-foot trailer that folds out into a triple-wide. The display will include four 3D demos of DLP rear-projection TVs from 60 inches to 82 inches, including the company's laser-lighted 65-inch “Laservu” set, displaying 3D PC games, 3D Blu-ray movies and 3D live action content.

Frank DeMartin, Mitsubishi marketing VP, said the 3D Blu-ray adapter will connect to one of the HDMI inputs on the back of the sets, essentially delivering the same 3D attributes of the later HDMI 1.4 input to the older displays.

The Mitsubishi 3DC-1000 3D adapter, which will be featured in the company's Central Hall booth (No. 14548), will be “affordably priced,” DeMartin said, although exacting pricing was not disclosed.

Mitsubishi first began selling 3D-ready TVs in 2007, and said it has sold more than half of a million 3D-ready units into the market to date. To evangelize the 3D experience to consumers, the company has displayed highly interactive retail demonstration kiosks in more than 150 home-theater dealers nationwide, to give customers the feel for 3D viewing at home.

The in-store 3D display is equipped with a Mitsubishi Home Theater TV and media server capable of playing 3D content, as well as stereoscopic glasses and an IR-emitter. Each demo showcases all the products needed to recreate the experience at home.

“As a pioneer in the 3D television market, Mitsubishi is bridging the gap for consumers to experience this break-through technology,” said DeMartin.